Service door



Sept. 28, 1965 H. L. DE VINES 3,208,562

SERVICE DOOR Filed Jan. 9, 1963 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 1 V i 7 l 1 INNTOR.Han/5 Z .DIM/Vif Vfw/ r a? Sept. 28, 1965 H. L. DE VINES SERVICE DOOR 4Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 9, 1963 INVENTOR. Han/.5 LfiIV/A i.

Sept. 28, 1965 H. L. DE VINES SERVICE DOOR 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Jan.9, 1963 INVENTOR. Han/5 1ND! V i Sept. 28, 1965 H. L. DE VIN'ES3,203,552

SERVICE DOOR Filed Jan. 9, 1963 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR. Ha a Z.DiV/Nfi zwd j r 4/ United States Patent 3,203,562 SERVICE DOOR HollisL. De Vines, San Francisco, Calif., assignor to Schlage 'Lock C'ompanyFiled Jan. 9, 1963, Ser. No. 250,391 7 Claims. (Cl. 189-46) My inventionrelates to doors for closing doorways, particularly in hotels, motelsand places of similar type, the service door having the capacity notonly to control ingress to and egress from the room to which it ispertinent, but also having an interior capacity to receive clothing,shoes, packages, and the like, which are to be temporarily stored forservice. An arrangement of this general sort is shown in patent1,686,831, for example.

While there have heretofore been available service doors incorporating achamber for the temporary reception of materials to be passed back andforth between an access hallway, for example, and the interior of aroom, they have been somewhat limited in capacity and have had otherdisadvantages under modern conditions of building construction and usewhich it is an object of the present invention to overcome.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a service doorwhich can readily be installed in a class A fireproof building withoutin any way reducing or restricting the firesafe qualities of thestructure.

Another object of the invention is to provide a service door having asubstantially increased capacity over those heretofore available.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a service doorwhich can be arranged to have a large capacity, yet which can beutilized in connection with doors employing standard hardware.

A further object of the invention is to provide a service door that doesnot transmit sound well.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a service doorarranged so that unauthorized access to the room cannot be obtained.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a service doorwhich is attractive in appearance, quiet in operation and generally isin keeping with high standards of modern building construction andequipment.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a service doorwhich can readily be fabricated and installed and one which requireslittle or no maintenance or mechanical attention.

Other objects together with the foregoing are attained in the embodimentof the invention described in the accompanying description andillustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevation from the interior of a room showing theservice door of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a cross section (portions being broken away), the plane ofsection being indicated by the lines 2-2 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged detail showing in cross section the constructionof the portion of the service door near the hinges, the plane of sectionbeing indicated by the lines 3-3 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged detail showing the construction of the servicedoor near the knob, the View being in cross section, the plane of whichis indicated by the lines 44 of FIGURE 1;

3,208,562 Patented Sept. 28, 1965 'ice FIGURE 5 is a cross section inenlarged detail, the plane of which is indicated by the lines 55 of FIG-URE 1;

FIGURE 6 is a detail in elevation showing a portion of the inner latchactuating mechanism;

FIGURE 7 is a detail in cross section, the plane of which is indicatedby the lines 77 of FIG. 6; and

FIGURE 8 is a detail in cross section, the plane of which is indicatedby the lines 88 of FIGURE 6.

The service door according to the invention can be incorporated in anumber of different ways, but has been successfully constructed andoperated substantially as shown herein. In this instance the door issituated to control the doorway of a room 5 having a wall 6 in which isinstalled a door frame 7 to leave an opening 8 to be closed orcontrolled by a door panel 9. The panel is generally rectangular inelevation and is associated with the frame 7 by means of butts or hinges12 in the customary way so that the panel 9 swings with respect to theframe 7 into the room about the axis 13 of the hinges.

The door panel is likewise related to the frame 7 in that the door isprovided with one portion 14 of a lock unit of standard constructionincluding an outer knob 16 projecting into a hallway 17 adjacent theroom 5 and also having a knob 18 projecting inwardly into the room 5.Also included in the lock unit is a reciprocable latch bolt 19 adaptedto be received in a strike box 21 forming the other portion of the lockunit and mounted in the frame 7. In the customary way, rotation of theknob 16 or the knob 18 when the lock unit is unlocked withdraws thelatch bolt 19 and releases the interengagement of the door panel 9 andthe frame 7.

Particularly in accordance with this invention, the door panel 9includes a marginal panel frame 22 made up of suitable structuralmembers so as to define the outer margins of the door panel and likewiseso as to define a central opening 23. This also is of rectangularconfiguration and is sufliciently extensive as to occupy substantiallythe entire area of the door panel except for the members of the panelframe.

On the exterior or hall side of the panel frame is disposed means forforming an outer housing 26. This conveniently is fabricated of sheetmetal formed into the appropriate configurations to provide strength andrigidity and is mounted to swing on and relative to the door panel 9 bymeans of appropriate hinges 27 having their axis parallel to the axis 13of the hinges 12. The outer,

housing 26 has inturned portions 28 and 29 so as to encompass asubstantial volume, but preferably is mounted so that its exteriorsurface 31 is approximately coplanar with the outer surface 32 of thehall wall. Thus the presence of the service door does not particularlyencroach upon or interfere with the hall space.

Incorporated in the construction of the outer housing is a fireretardant or resistant panel 33, for example, of asbestos or glassfiber, which is closely confined not only to serve as thermalinsulation, but likewise to serve as a sound insulator and as a sounddampener relative to the sheet metal of the outer housing. Sounds arenot easily transmitted through the service door and the opening orclosing of the outer housing does not transmit any unusual or unpleasantsounds.

The outer housing swings between a closed position as shown in the solidlines in FIGURE 2 and an open position approximately at right anglesthereto. An intermediate position is illustrated by the broken lines inFIGURE 2. The outer housing is retained in its closed position by meansof a securing device 34 having a detent 36 movable into and out of aposition engaging a projecting finger 37 forming part of the panel frame22. The securing device is controlled by a lock mechanism 38 and isprotected by a shield 39. When the securing structure is in the FIGURE 2position, the outer housing cannot be swung independently of the doorpanel, but when the lock mechanism 38 is appropriately actuated by asuitable key to rotate the detent 36 out of engagement with the finger37, the outer housing can be swung as indicated.

Since the outer housing is substantially or very nearly of the same areaor extent as the door panel itself, it is provided with a specialconstruction in order to accommodate the outer knob 16. The lock setincluding the knob 16 as part of its mounting on the door panel frame isprovided with a concave dish 41 suitably held permanently in place andaround its free-standing periphery provided with a cushion 42, forexample, of rubber. Correspondingly, the outer housing is formed with acutout 43 preferably of circular configuration so that the outer housingwhen closed will abut against the cushion 42 on the dish 41. Since thematerial 42 is somewhat yielding and since the material of the dish 41may also yield slightly, it is a simple matter to lock the outer housingin position with a tight engagement between the outer housing and thedish 41. By this means the knob 16 is made readily accessible andordinary standard hardware can be utilized with an outer housing oflarge capacity.

Since it is desired to have a tight relationship when the parts areclosed, the door panel frame is likewise provided near its edges with apacking strip 44 conveniently of rubber-like material, reinforced ifdesired, and held in position by overlying clip strips 46 and fasteners47. In this way a tight interengagement is provided to prevent draftsand sound transmission.

In a somewhat similar fashion, the panel frame 22 adjacent the hinges 12is provided with a special configuration including an inclinedoutstanding portion 51 aifording a reentrant face 52 against whichhinges 53 can be held by fastenings 54. The hinges 53 have their axesparallel to the axis 13 and serve to support an inner housing 56. Thislikewise is constructed of a number of sheet metal elements givenappropriate configuration for strength and rigidity and is also formedwith an inner wall 57 and an outer wall 58 between which a sheet 59 ofasbestos or comparable heat and sound insulating material is disposed.The inner housing 56 is contoured to provide considerable depth orvolume and has a peripheral margin 60 extending entirely around thehousing and defining an enclosed chamber 61. The margin 60 ends in asurface 62 designed to abut against a packing strip 63 when the innerhousing is closed. The packing strip is held in place by a clip strip 64and fastenings 66.

Adjacent the lock set 14 the inner housing is rovided with a cutout 67of generally circular configuration designed to abut, when the innerhousing is closed, with a peripheral gasket 68 mounted on an inner dish69 held in position by the lock set 14. In a fashion previouslydescribed, the inner housing when closed forms a tight seal against thedish 69, thus making the standard knob 18 readily accessible, yetaffording a large capacity within the inner housing and affording atight seal against the transmission of air currents or sound.

In order that the inner housing 56 can be held in closed position at theoption of the occupant of the room 5, there is provided an appropriatelatch mechanism. Since the latch mechanism is duplicated at the upperand lower portions of the structure, a description of one of the latchdevices applies equally to the other. Fixed on the panel frame near theedge thereof is a bracket 71 secured by fastenings 72 and having adownturned lip 73. Appropriately fastened on the inner housing 56 is abracket 74 having a notch 76 near its extremity. Resting and pivoting inthe notch 76 is an inclined latch clip 77 having a downturned end 78passing through the notch and also having an aperture 79 into which isfitted one end of a coil spring 81, the other end of which fits throughan opening 82 in the bracket 74 so that the latch clip 77 is normallybiased upwardly. In the upwardly biased position of the clip 77 an innerleg 83 of the clip lodges behind and rests against the downturnedportion 73 of the bracket 71, thus reventing any swinging movement ofthe inner housing relative to the door panel.

In order that the latch so formed may be released readily by a roomoccupant, the interior wall 57 of the inner housing is provided with asliding actuator 86. This actuator includes a finger bar 87 projectingoutwardly from a slide 88 confined by an appropriate frame 89 situatedfor the most part Within a guard housing 90. The slide 88 at one endcarries a pair of cable pulleys 91 over which is trained a light cable92. One portion of the cable is led over a fixed pulley 93 to travelthrough the inaccessible chamber 61 and at its end is looped through anopening 96 in the latch clip 77 and is secured by a collar 97.Similarly, the other portion of the cable 92 is led over a pulley 98 andis similarly fastened to the bottom latch 101. Consequently, when theroom occupant moves the finger bar 87 to translate the slide 88, helikewise displaces the pulleys 91. The cable 92 is thus appropriatelytensioned and rocks each latch clip 77 about its fulcrum on the bracket74, thus tensioning the spring and simultaneously lowering the latch leg93 below the lower terminus of the bracket lip 73, so that the innerhousing can be opened. When urged shut, the inner housing automaticallylatches. The slide 88 can be fitted with sufiicient friction so as torequire manual return or can move quite freely so as to be returnedautomatically by the springs 81 as soon as manually released. The entireslide actuator 86 is protected by the guard housing 90, which is openonly to the chamber 61.

The particular position of the actuator 86 and consequently of the latchmechanism 77 is preferably indicated by the provision of an indicium 102on a plate 103 in a position so that it can be covered and uncovered andso obscured or observed through an opening 104 in an auxiliary slide 105partly in the path of the slide 88. The auxiliary slide is displaced tocover the indicium 102 when the slide 88 is moved in one direction andremains in that position until manually returned by displacement of afinger projecting through a slot in the guard housing 90. Thisindication is of importance since there is provided an arrangement forprecluding the opening of the outer housing unless the inner housing isin its closed position.

As particularly shown in FIGURE 5, the bracket 71 is formed with arecess 106 in which rests the knee 107 of a T-bar 108. The upper portionof this bar is wide enough to rest on the bracket 71 at either side ofthe recess 106, but the extended portion of the T-bar terminates in alatch configuration 109. The bar 108 is pressed to move the latchportion 109 upwardly by a leaf spring 111 secured by the same fastenings72 that hold the bracket 71 in place.

When in uppermost position the latch portion 109 lies against andrestrains an inturned flange 112 forming part of the construction of theouter housing. When the inner housing is closed, however, a similarinturned portion 113 thereon abuts and rotates the bar 108 so that thelatch portion 109 is depressed against the urgency of the spring 111 andout of the path of the flange 112. Under these circumstances, the outerhousing, being unlatched, can be swung open as soon as the key mechanism38 is properly operated. When the inner housing is in its open positionor is even slightly open, the bar 108 is free or released and the leafspring 111 is effective to drive the latch 109 into an uppermostposition interlocking with the inturned portion 112 and thus restrainingthe outer housing. When the outer housing is in open position, it canalways be swung shut. Either the latch portion 109 is already depressed,or, if the latch portion happens to be in its uppermost position, thenthe inturned flange 112 cams against a latch ramp 114 and flexes thelatch bar, which is sufficiently springly to admit of this operation. Ina somewhat similar fashion, when the inner housing is to be closed, itis immaterial whether or not the cord 92 is tensioned and the latch'clip 77 is lowered since in any case when the inner housing is swungtoward closed position the inclined central portion 116 of the latchclip 77 rides under the downturned lip 73 and then if unrestrainedsprings upwardly behind the lip 73 to complete the latching operation.

With the device as described installed in the fashion indicated, theoccupant of the room, for example, without in any way disturbing thenormal locking facilities provided by the mechanism 14, can at hisleisure operate the finger bar 87 to swing open the inner housing andthen to place clothing, shoes or other items in the compartment formednot only by the hollow ortions of the outer housing and the innerhousing, but also by the opening 23 in the door panel. So long as theinner housing is open and the room occupant is able to communicate withthe storage compartment, it is impossible for anyone even by actuatingthe lock 38 to gain access to the compartment or to the room from theexterior. However, as soon as the inner housing has been brought toclosed position, the latch 109 is released and anyone with theappropriate key may open the outer housing and retrieve the materialsleft therein or deposit other materials.

The provision of the service door, particularly because of the cutoutsprovided, does not in any wise interfere with the installation on thedoor panel of the usual, normal hardware. The service door can thus beused interchangeably with or as a replacement for standard doors inother portions of the same building.

What is claimed is:

1. A service door comprising a door frame, a door panel including amarginal panel frame enclosing an opening, means mounting said panelframe to swing on said door frame about a vertical axis adjacent onevertical edge of said panel frame, a lock set member mounted on saiddoor frame, an interfitting lock set member mounted on said panel frameadjacent the opposite vertical edge thereof and projecting therefrom onthe inner side and on the outer side, a rigid outer dish mounted on saidpanel frame and having a free-standing periphery surrounding saidprojecting lock portion on the outer side, a rigid inner dish mounted onsaid panel frame and having a freestanding periphery surrounding saidprojecting lock portion on the inner side, an outer housing adapted tooverlie and cover said opening and to extend over the outer surface ofsaid panel frame, means mounting said outer housing on said panel frameto swing about a vertical axis remote from said lock set members, meansholding said outer panel against swinging on said panel frame, means insaid outer housing defining a cut-out having the margin thereof engagingsaid free-standing periphery of said outer dish when said outer housingcovers said opening and said outer surface of said panel frame, an innerhousing adapted to overlie and cover said opening and to extend over theinner surface of said panel frame, means mounting said inner housing onsaid panel frame to swing about a vertical axis remote from said lockset members, means in said inner housing defining a cut-out having amargin thereof engaging said free-standing periphery of said inner dishwhen said inner housing covers said opening and said inner surface ofsaid panel frame, and means holding said inner housing against swingingon said panel frame.

2. A service door comprising a door frame, a door panel including amarginal panel frame enclosing an opening, means mounting said doorpanel to swing on said door frame about a first vertical axis adjacentone vertical edge of said panel frame, outer means overlying andcovering the outside of said opening and said panel frame, inner meansincluding a cut-out overlying and covering the inside of said openingand said panel frame, means mounting said inner means to swing on saidpanel frame about a second vertical axis adjacent said first verticalaxis, a lock interengaging said door panel and said door frame andhaving one member mounted on said panel frame remote from said axes andhaving a part projecting through said cut-out when said inner meanscovers said opening and said panel frame, and a rigid dish surroundingsaid projecting part of said lock and having a freestanding periphery inposition to engage the margin of said cut-out when said inner meanscovers said opening and said panel frame.

3. A service door comprising a door frame, a door panel including amarginal panel frame enclosing an opening, means mounting said doorpanel to swing on said door frame about an axis adjacent one edgethereof, a housing adapted to overlie and cover said opening and saidpanel frame, means mounting said housing to swing on said panel frameabout an axis adjacent said edge and into and out of a position closingsaid opening and overlying said panel frame, a lock mounted on saidpanel frame in a position remote from said edge and having a portionprojecting from said panel frame, means on said housing defining acut-out adapted to accommodate the projecting portion of said lock whensaid housing is adjacent a position closing said opening and overlyingsaid panel frame, and a rigid dish surrounding the projecting portion ofsaid lock and having a portion directed away from said panel frame andin position to engage the margin of said cut-out when said housing is insaid position.

4. A service door comprising a door panel including a marginal panelframe enclosing a generally rectangular opening, a door lock mounted onsaid panel frame, said door lock including an inner knob projecting fromsaid panel frame on the inside of said door, a rigid dish on said panelframe projecting around said inner knob and providing an abuttingportion extending toward the inside of said door, an inner housing ofgenerally rectangular extent, means forming a cut-out in said innerhousing, and means mounting said inner housing on said panel frame toswing about an axis remote from said door lock and out of and into aposition overlying and covering said opening and said panel frame on theinside of said door with the edge of said cut-out engaging said abuttingportion of said dish, said inner housing and said dish when inengagement preventing access to said inner knob through said rectangularopening.

5. A service door comprising a door panel including a marginal panelframe enclosing a generally rectangular opening, a door lock mounted onsaid panel frame, said door lock including a latch bolt extendingthrough said panel frame, said door lock also including a knoboperatively connected to said latch bolt and projecting from said panelframe, a rigid dish on said panel frame and projecting around said knob,said dish having a freestanding periphery, a housing of generallyrectangular extent adapted to overlie and cover said opening and saidpanel frame, means forming a cut-out in said housing, the edge of saidcut-out substantially engaging the periphery of said dish when saidhousing overlies and covers said opening and said panel frame, and meansmounting said housing to swing on said panel frame about an axis remotefrom said door lock.

6. A service door as in claim 5 in which said dish periphery is providedwith a resilient gasket.

7. A service door comprising a panel frame including a hinge side memberand a lock side member spaced apart and defining the sides of anopening, a door lock mounted on said lock side member and having a knobprojecting away from said lock side member, a rigid dish having anabutting portion, means mounting said dish on said lock side memberaround said knob wtih said abutting portion away from said lock sidemember, a housing adapted 7 g 8 to overlie and cover said opening andsaid lock side mem- 1,670,372 5/28 Matchette 20-16 ber, means hingingsaid housing on said ilinge side mem- 2,537,896 1/51 Hinton et a1 20-16X her, and means defining a cut-out in said housing, said FOREIGNPATENTS cut-out having an edge adapted to lie against said abuttingportion when said housing overlies and covers said open- 5 1,113,498 55Fran e. ing and said lock side member. 747,278 1/ 46 Germany.

References Cited by the Examiner HARRISON R. MOSELEY, Primary Examiner.

UNITED STATES PATENTS 215,439 5/79 Crane 20-16X 10

3. A SERVICE DOOR COMPRISING A DOOR FRAME, A DOOR PANEL INCLUDING AMARGINAL PANEL FRAME ENCLOSING AN OPENING, MEANS MOUNTING SAID DOORPANEL TO SWING ON SAID DOOR FRAME ABOUT AN AXIS ADJACENT ONE EDGETHEREOF, A HOUSING ADAPTED TO OVERLIE AND COVER SAID OPENING AND SAIDPANEL FRAME, MEANS MOUNTING SAID HOUSING TO SWING ON SAID PANEL FRAMEABOUT AN AXIS ADJACENT SAID EDGE AND INTO AND OUT OF A POSITION CLOSINGSAID OPENING AND OVERLYING SAID PANEL FRAME, A LOCK MOUNTED ON SAIDPANEL FRAME IN A POSITION REMOTE FROM SAID EDGE AND HAVING A PORTIONPROJECTING FROM SAID PANEL FRAME, MEANS ON SAID HOUSING DEFINING ACUT-OUT ADAPTED TO ACCOMMODATE THE PROJECTING PORTION OF SAID LOCK WHENSAID HOUSING IS ADJACENT A POSITION CLOSING SAID OPENING AND OVERLYINGSAID PANEL FRAME, AND A RIGID DISH SURROUNDING THE PROJECTING PORTION OFSAID LOCK AND HAVING A PORTION DIRECTED AWAY FROM SAID PANEL FRAME ANDIN POSITION TO ENGAGE THE MARGIN OF SAID CUT-OUT WHEN SAID HOUSING IS INSAID POSITION.